Method of providing destination information, destination-information providing apparatus and storage medium

• US 9,372,087 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2014
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Asai, Tatsuya, Morikawa, Hiroaki, Shigezumi, Junichi, Inakoshi, Hiroya
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US14/456,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20150088410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 701/25, 701/408, 701/420, 701/533, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/11.1, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

A method of providing destination information includes storing route information in which location information identifying locations, coordinate points information, and information of locations adjacent to the locations are associated with each other; storing probability information in which current locations, destinations, and probabilities of moving from the current locations to the corresponding destinations are associated with each other; receiving information indicating a current position of a terminal apparatus; determining a current location corresponding to the current position; determining one or more first destination candidates based on the probability information; determining one or more second destination candidates among the one or more first destination candidates, when a next destination is not uniquely identifiable; determining a nearby location indicating a location adjacent to each second destination candidate and the current location; and determining the next destination among the one or more second destination candidates, by assuming the nearby location as the current location.

Claims

1. A method of providing destination information executed by a processor included in a destination-information providing apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving information of a current position of a terminal apparatus;

extracting a current location corresponding to the current position from route information including a plurality of entries respectively having a combination of a location, coordinate points of the location, and one or more adjacent locations adjacent to the location;

determining one or more first destination candidates respectively indicating a candidate of a next destination for the current location, based on probability information including a plurality of entries respectively having a combination of a current location, a destination, and a probability with which a plurality of travelers who are at the current location move to the destination;

determining one or more second destination candidates among the one or more first destination candidates based on the probability information, when the next destination is not uniquely identifiable from among the one or more first destination candidates;

extracting a nearby location adjacent to each of the one or more second destination candidates and the current location from among one or more adjacent locations corresponding to the current location included in the route information; and

determining the next destination among the one or more second destination candidates, by assuming the nearby location as the current location of the terminal apparatus and based on probabilities with which a plurality of travelers who are at the nearby location move to the one or more second destination candidates included in the probability information.

2. The destination-information providing method according to claim 1,

wherein the determining of the one or more first destination candidates includes determining a destination for the current location as the first destination candidate, when the current location corresponding to the determined current location is included in the probability information.

3. The destination-information providing method according to claim 1,

wherein the determining of the one or more second destination candidates includes:

sorting the first destination candidates in descending order of the probabilities; and

determining that the next destination is not uniquely identifiable from among the first destination candidates, when the probabilities for two or more of the sorted first destination candidates are highest.

4. The destination-information providing method according to claim 1,

wherein the determining of the one or more second destination candidates includes:

sorting the first destination candidates in descending order of the probabilities; and

determining that the next destination is not uniquely identifiable from among the first destination candidates, when a difference between the probability for the first destination candidate whose probability is highest among the sorted first destination candidates and the probability for the first destination candidate whose probability is second highest is smaller than a predetermined threshold.

5. The destination-information providing method according to claim 1,

wherein the determining of the one or more second destination candidates includes:

determining, as the second destination candidates, the first destination candidate whose probability is highest among the first destination candidates sorted in descending order of the probabilities and the first destination candidate corresponding to the probability whose difference from the probability for the first destination candidate whose probability is the highest is within a predetermined threshold.

6. The destination-information providing method according to claim 1,

wherein the extracting of the nearby location includes selecting a location that is included in locations adjacent to the current location and that has a transportation network common to the current location.

7. The destination-information providing method according to claim 1,

wherein the determining of the next destination includes:

sorting the second destination candidates in descending order of the probabilities; and

determining, when a difference between the probability for the first destination candidate whose probability is highest among the sorted first destination candidates and the probability for the first destination candidate whose probability is second highest is larger than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the first destination candidate whose probability is the highest as the next destination.

8. The destination-information providing method according to claim 1,

wherein the determining of the next destination includes determining, when a difference between the probability for the first destination candidate whose probability is highest among the first destination candidates that are sorted and the probability for the first destination candidate whose probability is second highest is smaller than a predetermined threshold, the first destination candidate whose probability is the highest and the first destination candidate whose probability is the second highest as next destinations for the current location.

9. The destination-information providing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining information of a map including the current location;

generating output information by superimposing the route information on the map; and

transmitting the output information and information about the next destination to the terminal apparatus.

10. The destination-information providing method according to claim 1,

wherein the probability stored in the probability information is calculated using past travelers information in which at least current locations, destinations, and numbers of past travelers respectively moved from a current location that is one of the current locations to a destination that is one of the destinations are associated with each other.

11. The destination-information providing method according to claim 10,

wherein the past travelers information is information in which locations immediately preceding the current locations, the locations, the destinations, and the numbers of past travelers are associated with each other.

12. A destination-information providing apparatus, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

receive information of a current position of a terminal apparatus;

extract a current location corresponding to the current position from route information including a plurality of entries respectively having a combination of a location, coordinate points of the location, and one or more adjacent locations adjacent to the location;

determine one or more first destination candidates respectively indicating a candidate of a next destination for the current location based on probability information including a plurality of entries respectively having a combination of a current location, a destination, and a probability with which a plurality of travelers who are at the current location move to the destination;

determine one or more second destination candidates among the one or more first destination candidates based on the probability information, when the next destination is not uniquely identifiable from among the one or more first destination candidates;

extract a nearby location adjacent to each of the one or more second destination candidates and the current location from among one or more adjacent locations corresponding to the current location included in the route information; and

determine the next destination among the one or more second destination candidates, by assuming the nearby location as the current location of the terminal apparatus and based on probabilities with which a plurality of travelers who are at the nearby location move to the one or more second destination candidates included in the probability information.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process, the process comprising:

receiving information of a current position of a terminal apparatus;

extracting a current location corresponding to the current position from route information including a plurality of entries respectively having a combination of a location, coordinate points of the location, and one or more adjacent locations adjacent to the location;

determining one or more first destination candidates respectively indicating a candidate of a next destination for the current location, based on probability information including a plurality of entries respectively having a combination of a current location, a destination, and a probability with which a plurality of travelers who are at the current location move to the destination;

determining one or more second destination candidates among the one or more first destination candidates based on the probability information, when the next destination is not uniquely identifiable from among the one or more first destination candidates;

extracting a nearby location adjacent to each of the one or more second destination candidates and the current location from among one or more adjacent locations corresponding to the current location included in the route information; and

determining the next destination among the one or more second destination candidates, by assuming the nearby location as the current location of the terminal apparatus and based on probabilities with which a plurality of travelers who are at the nearby location move to the one or more second destination candidates included in the probability information.